Well-rested Oregon State heavy favorites against UNC

	Mitch Canham homered and drove in three runs in the bracket-clinching win over UC-Irvine. AP
	RELATED • UNC downs Rice to reach CWS final • Beavers' confidence leads to dominance
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OMAHA, Neb. -- Floating blow-up dolls in the outfield, infielders assaulted by giant moths, and an anteater infestation: It's been a strange fortnight here at Rosenblatt Stadium, the old blue-rinsed ballyard that every June becomes the cradle of college baseball.

It's somehow appropriate, then, that the most crucial decision of this year's tourney may have been made by Matt Langwell on Thursday afternoon, before the elimination game between Rice and North Carolina. The Rice starter decided to take a five-minute snooze in front of his locker; when he woke up he felt pain in his back, and a few hours later he took the mound and allowed three runs---the difference in the 7-4 winner-goes-to-the-final game, won by North Carolina --- in his 3 1/3 innings of work. "I told him to take a nap on the floor or training table next time," his coach, Wayne Graham, said after the game. "Something that's totally flat."

And so after a bizarre NCAA baseball tournament that saw top seed Vanderbilt not even make the sojourn to Omaha, the stage is set for this weekend's Beavers-Heels rumble, a repeat of last year's thrilling final, and only the second championship rematch in the 61-year history of the College World Series. Just three teams have ever won back-to-back championships, so defending a national title is very serious business -- but you wouldn't know it by hangin' with the Beavers, who must be considered favorites over the Tar Heels.

The club takes on the personality of All-America catcher (and Padres first-round draft pick) Mitch Canham, who pens rap songs (last year he collaborated with pals on O-State Ballaz, which became the team's theme song during its championship march) and leads team fishing trips. In fact, all week long Canham and other Beavers have spent mornings fishing at a private lake in Omaha.

"We're real superstitious. We like to say that every fish caught is a hit," says Canham. "[Outfielder Mike] Lissam caught a big one and went out and hit two home runs. [Daniel] Tupen caught a few and went out and pitched a beautiful game. Coincidence? I think not."

The Beavers are a goofy bunch (coach Pat Casey rolls his eyes when he says, "I've got no control over the guys"), but they have the swagger of a club that knows it's the team to beat -- even though they lost nearly all the leaders from last year's team, including All-America pitchers Jonah Nickerson, Kevin Gunderson and Dallas Buck and Pac-10 player of the year Cole Gillespie. "The day after we won it last year, we knew what kind of talent we had coming in," says Canham, referring to stud freshmen such as second baseman Joey Wong and Game 1 starter Jorge Reyes. "Our defense is so good because of the work we put in. All around we glow with confidence."

Nothing fazes the young Beavers. Earlier this week Wong was standing in the infield during a game and was swarmed by oversized moths. "I'm trying to focus on the game, but here are all these moths out of nowhere, hitting my legs," says Wong, who turned one of the best double plays ever seen in a CWS, going airborne to avoid a sliding Cal State Fullerton runner. "You don't see that too often."

You also don't often see blow-up dolls falling from the outfield stands, which is what happened in the UC-Irvine vs. Fullerton game. Nor do you see a team win two-straight extra inning games, which is what UC-Irvine did during an improbable tournament run. Omaha fell in love with the Anteaters, who sent tournament fave Arizona State home on Tuesday after trailing 7-3.

But now all eyes are on the Beavers and Heels. North Carolina lost first-round draft picks Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard, but this year's Tar Heel team, led by shortstop Josh Horton and third baseman Chad Flack, can rake. The pick here is the well-rested defending champs in two games -- but, especially this summer, we've learned to expect the unexpected in Omaha.